Coming to Terms
by WiccaChick98
Summary: Contains major spoilers for Code! There's a new girl on Morris, but she's not all that she seems. What's with her strange necklace? Why does she seem so familiar to Tory? And how does she seem to know things about the Virals, even though they've never met? There's more to Caitlin than meets the eye, and Tory's determined to find out what it is. But can she handle the truth?
1. Chapter 1

**Here I am! Sorry I've been gone so long- hiatus AND a cheating boyfriend can really occupy one's time, huh?**

**But I've written an entire story in 3 days and am currently in the process of writing another one! And these chapters will be quite short, so sorry 'bout that.**

**And I've been thinking, and have decided that, to make sure people are actually reading my stories, I won't post another chapter until I get at least 3 reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own it.**

**Chapter 1**

I walked down the beach, looking for conchs. It was summer. It was relatively cool out. So of course I was outside.

Coop, my wolfdog, was at my side, until he saw a bird. Then he raced after it. I laughed and watched him for a few seconds before returning to my search.

Then Coop growled suddenly, and ran towards me, hackles raised.

"Whoa, what is it, boy?" I asked, concerned. He'd never acted like this before. The dog snarled and jumped in front of me, turning and glaring at the bushes by the forest. I rubbed his back. "It'll be fine, Coop. Nothing's out there."

The twigs snapped abruptly, and a figure emerged. Coop growled loudly, then sniffed the air and loped towards it.

"Cooper, no! Stop! Heel!"

Upon hearing that, he slid to a stop and fell over. The person, originally standing in shock, laughed. It was a female's laugh.

I jogged up to her. "Hey, sorry about him." I swatted Coop gently. "He's usually so well trained."

"Don't worry about it," she said, petting the now standing wolfdog. He yapped, tail wagging, and licked her hand. "We have a dog. His name's Rascal." She laughed again, and it sounded a little familiar, but I was sure I'd never seen her before.

"Do I know you?"

She flushed and shook her head quickly. "No, no. I'm new here. My name's my- Caitlin, I mean." She coughed. "I'd gotten a bit sick on the plane ride here."

"Where are you from, Caitlin? I'm Tory."

She shook my hand. "I'm from North Carolina. My family recently relocated. New job."

"Where at?"

Caitlin shrugged. "LIRI. My mom's a vet."

"Will you be going to Bolton this fall?"

"Yeah. I'll be a freshman. My parents had me start school early."

"How old are you now?"

"Thirteen."

I looked her over. She was wearing jeans and a tank top- the kind you'd get from Wal-Mart, and a dark blue amulet around her neck. She had dark brown hair and grey eyes, high cheekbones, and full lashes. To say she was pretty would be an understatement. Another understatement was that she looked familiar. I _knew_ I'd seen her before, but I didn't know where.

"Well, I don't know about this year's freshmen, but if they're anything like the ones _I_ had to deal with, then let me wish you good luck. I skipped the sixth grade," I said, glancing over at Coop to see how he was doing. He was chasing birds again.

I rolled my eyes at him, and turned back to Caitlin. "What all do you like to do?" We started walking.

"Oh, I like fishing, boating, forensics, experimenting with technology, and natural science."

"Really?" I was surprised. It sounded a lot like my pack combined.

"Um, yeah. Why?" Her eyes met mine, and the recognition hit me again, more powerful this time. I _knew_ her. I did, I could feel it in my bones.

"It's just, my friends and I like the same kind of stuff."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah. You wanna meet them?"

"If I could, that'd be great!"

We walked to Hi's house. I knocked on the door, and he answered a few seconds later. His eyebrows rose when he saw Caitlin, then he blushed.

"Tory, who's this?"

I introduced them, and he shook her hand.

"She's going to be a freshman this fall," I told him. "She skipped a grade, like me."

Hi nodded, smiling at her. She smiled back shyly. "Have you met Shelton yet?"

"No," Caitlin said.

"Then maybe I can come with."

I shrugged. "I don't see why not. Is that okay with you?" I asked Caitlin. She nodded.

Hi and I introduced her to Shelton, who was also astonished by her beauty, apparently. We ended up all walking along the beach together. I stopped and stared when we got to The Place. Where he used to dock _Sewee_.

Tears welled up in my eyes at the memory, but I pushed them back. It wasn't like we'd never see Ben again. He was just with his mom in Mount Pleasant this summer because Tom had to work down in Georgia.

Did I even _want_ to see him?

Of course I did. He was pack. He was... Ben. How could I _not_ want to see him?

I guess I missed him. But I was also still hurt and a little angry. More than a little. He'd aided a murderer. Whether he meant to or not didn't matter. What mattered was that he never told us.

I came so close to crying every time I thought of his confession, his explanation. He'd done it to get my attention. He wanted me to view him as more than a pack.

I didn't even know if I did or not. I'd never thought of it. Never wanted to.

He was a part of my pack. My family. If I started paying more attention to one person in the 'family', then the other members might get jealous. And if things didn't work out between us...

It would be ugly. Hideous.

So I avoided romance within my own pack. It was safer that way. Cleaner.

"What's wrong, m-Tory?" Caitlin asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked over at her.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Really."

She still didn't look convinced.

"Oh, she just misses good ol' Benjamin Blue," Hi said, slinging an arm around Caitlin's shoulders. "He got expelled from our pristine, snooty private school and now has to go to a public school with normal people."

"Lucky bastard," Shelton muttered.

"What?" Caitlin's eyes were huge. "D- he got _expelled_? Why?"

I suddenly didn't like how she was prying. "He got mixed up in something," I snapped. "Something he didn't know he was getting himself into. When he found out how bad it was, he refused to tell us and tried to solve the problems on his own. Then it snowballed out of control and he got kicked out of Bolton. Now he's in Mount Pleasant with his mom."

"Permanently?" Caitlin gasped, looking panicked. What the hell was wrong with her? Why did she care? It wasn't like she knew Ben. Not like I did.

"Just for the summer," Shelton said before I could snap at her again. "His dad has a gig in Georgia that he has to do."

Caitlin looked around, then at the dock. It was like she knew something was missing from it. "I have to go," she said quickly, apologetically. "It was nice seeing you, unc- I mean, Hi, Shelton and Tory. Nice to meet you. I'll see you around!"

She was gone before any of us could even react.

"What the hell?" Hi said.

"Strange." Shelton tugged on his earlobe.

"Something's up," I said. "With Caitlin. Did you notice how she keeps correcting herself? It was like she was used to calling us something else."

Shelton shrugged. "Maybe she has a stutter."

Hi agreed. I didn't.

"No, no," I said. "If she had a stutter, it'd be more obvious."

"Maybe she's getting over it."

I shook my head. "Even if that was the case, she's still lying about something. She'd said her mom was a vet at LIRI. All of our parents work there. Don't you think we would've found out by now if they got another vet? There's something up with her. Something abnormal. And I'm going to find out what it is."

The two boys groaned.

**What'd you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**All of them are going to be about this length, give or take.**

**Still don't own _Virals,_ by the way. If only I did...**

**And, damn! Five reviews already (at least, the last time I checked)! Thank you guys so much! I hope this ties up at least some confusion about who the mysterious Caitlin is!**

**Chapter 2**

A few days later, I saw Caitlin. She was fiddling with her amulet. She looked nervous. "Hey, Caitlin," I said. She jumped and looked over at me.

"Shit, don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed. I laughed.

"Sorry. So, how're you fitting in so far?"

"Um, fine. I'm fine. Everything's good. Great, even. My parents are pretty settled down."

"Glad to hear that."

"Yeah. Thanks." She looked at her amulet again, then glanced up at me. "Listen, I hate to do this, but I need to go. There's something I need to take care of."

"Oh, okay. See you around, Caitlin."

"Bye." Caitlin ran off. I waited a few seconds before sliding on my sunglasses.

**SNAP**

I inhaled her scent, shocked to find it smelled extremely familiar. I had no idea why it surprised me- everything else about her was familiar. So how come she acted like we'd never met before?

I tracked her scent to an old, abandoned house. Carefully, I sneaked in through the back door, and followed the trail to the back room. The door was cracked slightly, and I peeked in to see her take off her amulet.

The change was instantaneous. First she was Caitlin, then she wasn't. Her build was the same, but her skintone took on a more coppery look, and her hair thickened and turned black. I couldn't see her face.

I was frozen to the ground, in shock. My flare sizzled out.

The girl put the amulet on the small table and sat down with her head in her hands.

"I can't believe he got expelled. That wasn't supposed to happen. The thing with the Gamemaster was just supposed to blow over. What's going on? Why the hell did he get... What's this going to do to me?" She sniffled. "I just wanted to see them when they were younger. I wanted to see them... I wanted to see them... They should be together by now! She was supposed to forgive him this spring, and then they were supposed to kiss and make up and- and..." She started crying.

I felt my heart ache for her and stepped into the room, hoping to comfort her in some sort of way.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a softness I didn't know I possessed.

She started and looked up at me, eyes widening with fear. I stared at her, shocked once again. It was becoming a regular thing with me.

She had a copper tone, but didn't look as Native American as you'd think from seeing her back. She had softer, more delicate features, with the high cheekbones and smooth jaw line.

She looked like... me

"Mo-mo- Tory!" she gasped, the tears having stopped. "What're you doing here?"

I ignored her question. "Who are you?"

The girl bit her lip before sighing. "I'm... I'm your daughter, Tory."

There were several things I could've said to that. Several reactions, from 'yeah, right!' to 'impossible!' to 'hmm, so _that's_ why you're so familiar.'

I picked the most intelligent one of all.

"Huh?"

She sniffled. "My name is Myra. I'm your daughter. I'm from the future."

I shook my head. "No way. Nuh-uh. Not possible. I don't have a daughter."

_No shit, stupid._

"You'll have one in about ten years. Me."

I sat down, shaking. "How?"

"Uncle Shelton made a TTD. I kinda stole it and tried it."

"How..." I glared up at her. "How could you be so irresponsible? You don't even know if that thing works or not! You could get stuck here! Or worse, you could get killed!" I slapped my hand over my mouth. Where did that come from? "Um, does it work to change appearance, too?"

Myra shook her head. "That's the Light Bender. The amulet. Uncle Shelton made that one, too, but it's been tested carefully. It for sure works."

"Okay." I put my head in my hands. "Enlighten me. What the hell are you doing in 2013?"

She sighed. "We'd grown up hearing stories about how a group of teenagers constantly got into trouble- breaking the law, saving lives, all while dealing with the problems of growing up. Soon, we found out that the stories weren't just 'stories.' They really happened. To you guys. So I wanted to catch you in action. But I think someone screwed with time. Something went wrong."

"'_We'_ grew up hearing stories? You have a sibling?"

"Two. An older brother and a younger sister."

"Who's the father?"

She ignored that one. "Anyway, something went wrong. Things were supposed to work out between Kit and Bolton Prep. No charges should've meant no expulsion. But someone must've tampered with it. It could really screw it all over."

"Expulsion? You're talking about Ben?"

Myra nodded.

"But how would that-" I stopped, coming to my conclusion quickly. "Oh my god."

She nodded again.

"Ben's your father?"

"Yeah. You two should've made up this spring. But you're still mad at him. I think someone's trying to prevent you two from getting together."

I looked up at her again. She was my daughter? Ben's and my _daughter_? What. The. Hell.

I could see the similarities- the ties to both Ben and myself. My build and looks. His skin, hair, and eyes.

"How do we fix this?" I asked, forcing myself to focus.

Myra smiled. "Well, you and Dad need to get together, basically. I think. I'm pretty sure that will fix things. Most things. Probably."

"You think? Probably?"

"It's the future you're gambling with. Nothing's certain."

She was right. Nothing was certain at all.

"Fuck," I breathed, leaning back on my hands.

**So, there you go! Ben and Tory's daughter is here! Sorry to disappoint, Cooper3...**

**lol, so same thing- at least 3 reviews before I post the next one.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, this one broke 1000 words! Yay!**

**The story also broke 10 reviews! I love you guys so much, thank you!**

**Don't own the series, or the characters. (If only I owned Ben Blue...)**

**You get to see Tory's thought process in this one (don't know how well I did on it)**

**Chapter 3**

A week later, I dialed the number and held my breath. Myra sat on my bed, watching intently. I almost hoped he wouldn't pick up.

"Hello?"

Of course he did.

"Ben? It's Tory."

"Tory?" He sounded genuinely surprised. "I didn't think you'd call."

"Me, neither," I muttered. "But listen, you need to come back to Morris. Something came up."

"What do you mean, '_something_'?"

I looked at Myra. "I think it'd be better if you just came and saw for yourself."

"Is it big?"

"Pretty huge."

Myra giggled, and covered her mouth. I rolled my eyes. _Thirteen-year-olds_.

Ben sighed from the other line. "I don't know if I can."

"Please? Ben, I swear it's important."

"I know it is." I caught the hint of bitterness in his tone. "You wouldn't call unless I was needed."

I sighed. "Ben..."

"I can be there by tomorrow, okay?"

I grinned. "Really? Thanks so much! This means a lot to me, Ben!"

"I'm glad. So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

We hung up, and Myra smiled. "He's coming over?"

I nodded. "Get ready to meet your dad."

I didn't exactly know why I was so happy about seeing him, but I was. Maybe it was just an empathy link I shared with Myra. I'd learned that she flared, too. She had a super nose, like me.

Maybe it was because I missed him and wanted to see him, just to see him and know he was alright. Holding up.

Perhaps it was time to decide how I felt about him.

"Uh-oh," Myra said.

"What?"

"I know that look. It's your Thinking Face. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." With that, she left, making sure to put on her amulet.

For a brief second, I wondered how she knew that. Then I remembered- _duh_, she's my daughter. She'd spent thirteen years getting to know me.

I put that aside, sat down on the bed, and thought.

Ben had hurt me. He'd betrayed my trust. He'd lied, and was willing to let people get hurt to protect his pride.

Then again, he'd never _meant_ for anyone to get hurt. He'd truly thought it was innocent fun. He'd been the one to chase the Gamemaster down. He'd been heartbroken and devastated when he found out. I'd always been attracted to him.

But he was a part of my pack. My family.

Even family has to have an Alpha pair.

But he'd stood aside and scoffed at my ideas, though they were correct.

He'd stood up for me.

But he'd lied. He'd lied to me- that was what had hurt the most. I'd thought I could trust him.

Even if he was sorry, he'd still knowingly done it.

I'd made a decision in about an hour. When I was done contemplating all of the possible outcomes, I walked downstairs, where Myra was writing something down on a notebook. She looked up.

"Hey."

I sat down at the table, propping my head up on my elbow. "So, any jewels of wisdom for me?"

She laughed. "Not really. Telling you could mess with the space-time-continuum."

"Just answer one question for me, then."

"Okay?" Her eyes flashed with an emotion, but I didn't know what.

"My future self. Am I happy?"

Myra thought for a second before nodding. "You are."

That night, I could hardly sleep. Myra had needed to go, and I told her to stay in the bunker- it had electricity, more than I could say for that abandoned house. But my mind kept straying to Ben. He was Myra's father. Which meant that he and I'd hooked up in her dimension. But her dimension wasn't necessarily mine. Especially since she'd traveled back. The memory of her could make something go wrong- completely and utterly wrong. Something could happen to her. She could get caught and tested on. She could get killed.

I fell asleep with those oh-so comforting thoughts, only to be plagued with nightmares.

The morning that followed came sooner than I'd wanted it to. I was running on two hours of sleep, and I had to introduce Ben to his daughter that we were supposed to have in eight years- yeah, I'd done the math.

I showered, ate, and put on some foundation to hide the circles. I know, makeup isn't usually my thing, but I liked to wear it now and then, to hide something, like a bruise, from the entire population.

When I was ready- ready as I'd ever be- I walked to the bunker to get Myra. I knocked on the door and called her name, to warn her that I was coming in. I didn't hear a reply, but thought nothing of it until I was in the room.

It'd been trashed, and Myra wasn't there. I looked everywhere, calling her name. There was still no answer.

**SNAP**

I shivered as the flare rushed through me, but didn't wait for it to finish before checking the air. I smelled three people, other than Hi, Shelton, Ben, and me. The first one was Myra. The other two were male. I inhaled again, and froze. I recognized the scents.

Jason and Chance.

Rage and fury washed through me violently. I had to stop and catch myself on the wall for a few seconds, gritting my teeth. Damn, what was that?

_No, worry about the bastards who took your daughter first, then your strange dizzy spell._

Right. I had to find them. And when I did, I'd kill them. Clumsily sliding on my shades, I tore out of the bunker, following their scents. I saw people out of my peripheral vision, but I ignored them, even when I heard my name being called.

I had to find those two.

Finally, I had Jason in my sights. He turned and saw me before I could get to him. He froze, eyes widening with fear. Then I lunged at him.

We wrestled for a few minutes before he had me pinned onto the ground. I struggled against him, but my stupid flare had burned out pretty quickly after initial contact.

"Tell, me, Tory," he growled, "is it a coincidence?"

"What? Get off of me, Jason! What've you done to her?"

His nails dug into my wrists. I flailed helplessly. "Is it a coincidence that she looks like a Native American and has his mother's name?"

I gritted my teeth. "Let me go!"

"Is it a coincidence." It wasn't a question anymore. His eyes burned with hatred. "I can't believe you chose that boat boy over me, Tory. I'm way better than he'll ever be."

I spat on him, and he recoiled. "Tell me where she is, Jason. Tell me."

"Why don't you use your Spidey senses and track her from that?"

"What?"

"Yeah." He glared at me. "Chance told me. He says she has it, too. You know, she looks like you."

"Jason, _please_."

But all he did was smirk and say, "Good luck with the kid," before walking off. I started after him, when someone tackled me to the ground. I screamed and tried to fight them, but they restrained me with inhuman strength.

"Tory, stop it!"

I stopped fighting and looked up at the person. It was Shelton. He'd flared. He also looked pissed.

**Cliff-hanger (kinda sorta not really!)**

**So what'd you think? And what're your guesses as to:**

**1. What Chance and Jason want with Myra**

**2. Why Shelton is so mad**

**3. Why her flares are burning out, and why they exhaust her so quickly**

**If you answer all three of these correctly, you will win not one, but _two _virtual cookies (available in six designer flavors)**

**Review, please and thank you!**

**-WiccaChick98**


	4. Chapter 4

**15 reviews! Yay! Thank you guys so much!**

**Ion't own it.**

**Here you go!**

**Chapter 4**

"Why didn't you tell us?"

I stared at him for a few more seconds before looking away. I'd done what Ben had- kept vital information from the rest of my pack. My chin started to tremble. Then for some reason, I started to cry. "I was going to, I promise. I just was waiting for the right time."

I could feel him soften.

"This isn't going to change our view of you, okay? You're still the Tory we all know and love. It's just, you could've told us. When was the conception?"

I shook my head. I didn't remember anymore. "Eight, ten, eleven? I don't know."

"Who's the father?"

I bit my lip and looked away.

"My god, was it willing?"

"Huh?"

"The conception. Was it willing?"

"I think so." Ben and I were (will be?) married when we had (will have?) Myra, so it must've been willing. She'd be different if it wasn't.

"Will he help take care of it?"

"Yes." _He'd better._

"You can tell us these things, Tory." He hugged me. "It'll be okay. We can get through this together."

"You'll help me fix this mess?"

He looked stricken. "Of course we will! We're your family."

"You'll be a great uncle, Shelton."

Then he smiled and helped me up. I wiped my eyes, trying to flare again. It didn't work. I concentrated on everything that made me mad, everything that made my heart beat faster. Nothing.

"I can't flare," I whispered.

"Let's go back to the bunker. We can work on it there. By the way-"

I stopped listening when I saw Hi running towards us. But he wasn't alone.

Ben was with him.

I felt a swell of affection upon seeing Ben and smiled, despite the situation. He was the father of my daughter. Or will be. I ran towards him, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

There was a few seconds of nothing before he hugged me back stiffly.

"I've missed you," I said softly.

"I've, uh, missed you, too. So, um, what was so important that I had to come here?"

Shelton, who had caught up to us, gasped. "You mean, _you_ told him to come? Is that what you were waiting for?"

I looked up at Ben and opened my mouth to tell him, and saw his eyes. Myra had those eyes. I remembered Jason and Chance. How they had her with them. How could I have been so stupid? I let the boys distract me, taking up precious time I needed for tracking her down!

"They took her," I said. Hi's eyes widened.

"Who? Caitlin?"

I nodded. Ben looked confused. "Who?"

"She's a girl Tory met on the beach," Shelton explained distractedly, tugging his earlobe. "Who took her?"

"Jason and Chance. They found out."

Hi shook his head. "Impossible. We've been careful."

"Most of us have," Shelton interjected.

"I don't have time for this," I snapped, trying to flare once again. "We have to find her before they do something horrible!"

Ben put a grip on my shoulders to get my attention. "Calm down. It'll screw up your flare. Just think of something extremely stressful."

I listened to him, and thought of when I'd first found out Myra was from the future. It seemed like it was so long ago, but it'd been only a week. She'd told me that I was to marry Ben and have three kids with him.

**SNAP**

The flare rocketed through me violently, and I ended up trembling from it. I felt myself collapse backwards, into something warm and safe-feeling. The world went black for several seconds before I opened my eyes again and saw three concerned faces staring down at me.

"I don't think you should flare anymore. It's not good for you right now," Shelton said softly. Ben was holding me in his lap, looking extremely scared. Hi just looked confused.

"Why wouldn't it be good for-"

"Not now, Hi. We need to find Caitlin," Shelton said, standing. "It shouldn't be too hard to track her. Her scent's easy to remember."

I stood carefully, then stretched. "Yeah, let's go!" I started to walk forward, but someone grabbed my arm. I turned to see Ben.

"You're not going," Shelton said. "Not in your current condition. Hi and I will go. Ben, you can make sure Tory doesn't go anywhere?"

"Yeah." He didn't let go of my arm.

"No!" I exclaimed. "No, we have to find her together! If we don't, something bad will happen!"

"Tory, you're not going," Hi said. "You just KO'd. I wouldn't want to be the one with you when you pass out and make a racket."

"I'll look after her," Ben said, starting to lead me away, despite my protests. "We'll be in the bunker. Kick Jason's ass for me while you're there."

I struggled against him enough that he eventually just picked me up in his arms and _carried_ me to the bunker. When we got there, he froze.

"What happened to this place?" he whispered, as if his voice at any higher volume would make the ceiling fall on top of us.

"They found her here and took her," I said numbly. "Ben, we have to find her. If they took her necklace-" If they'd taken her necklace, Hi and Shelton wouldn't recognize her.

But Shelton seemed to know. What else could he have been talking about when he'd confronted me? Maybe, since he'd invented the device, he could see through it? Myra knew them, so she'd trust them to get her out safely. Right?

Shelton knew who Caitlin really was. He'd recognize her in both forms. I mean, all you had to do was look at her face and you'd know she was my daughter.

"They'll find her, Tory. It'll be okay." He led me to the bench against the wall. I sat down with my head in my hands. There were a few minutes of silence before he asked, "So who's the father?"

"What?" He knew, too? How?

"Just because Hi didn't get it doesn't mean I didn't. _Not in your current condition_? I know what you called me down here for."

The wires wouldn't connect. It was like we were talking about two seperate things. "You do?"

He nodded, looking down. "Yeah. You're pregnant."

**How many people got what Shelton and Ben thought before Ben mentioned it? I tried to make it a little obvious, to show how dense Tory can be at times, but I don't know how that worked.**

**And the reason she can't flare is because of the stress put on her, added with the fact that she kind of is trying too hard.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Just over a thousand again! Hey, at least I'm getting there, right?**

**Chapter 5**

The words shocked me. "What the hell are you talking about, Ben? I'm not pregnant!"

His eyebrows formed that familiar _V_. "Well, I'm pretty sure that's what Shelton thinks."

My heart stopped beating right then and there, at least for a few seconds. If Shelton didn't know- if he'd thought I was pregnant- then he wouldn't recognize Myra. They'd probably still save her, sure, but they'd keep looking for her, not knowing they'd found her, and end up getting caught and experimented on.

"Oh my god." I felt sick to my stomach.

"Tory, what's wrong? You look like you're going to be sick." He hesitantly reached for my hands, rubbing them with his thumbs, face flushing as he did so. I stood up, pulling away from him, and headed for the door. "Tory, where are you going?"

"We have to find her. All of them are in danger, Ben! Shelton and Hi won't- if she's not wearing the- they'll get tested on-"

He grabbed my shoulders for what seemed like the thousandth time. "You're getting hysterical. Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Benjamin Blue! My daughter's been captured, and without her Light Bender, they won't recognize her, so they'll keep looking and get caught! Now come on!" I raced towards the door, which seemed miles away. Ben grabbed me and pulled me back again.

"Your daughter?"

I stopped struggling, feeling the blood rush up to my face.

"Tory, look at me." I complied, forcing myself to meet his eyes. "Tell me. What's going on?"

I shook my head. It was too complicated. It would take too much time.

"Tell me."

"Ben, I can't. We have to-"

"Tell. Me."

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Remembered how, about a year ago, the same words had been spoken, but _I_ was the one confronting _him_. Tears welled up in my eyes at the memories, at the look on his face, at the pain in my heart, but I blinked them back.

"She came from the future with a TTD Shelton had created."

"TTD?"

"Time Traveling Device, Ben. Now do you get why we have to find her?"

He was quiet. Then, "I get that you're insane."

"Ben! Why would I lie to you about something like this?"

He shook his head, dark eyes concerned. Then he started to pull me to the bench again. "Not a liar. Insane. There's a difference. Delusional. Crazy. Bonkers. Out of your mind."

I slapped him. "I'm _not_ insane! Let me go! We have to find her!"

Ben grabbed my hands and forced them behind my back. "Tory, you've lost it."

"No, I haven't. Trust me, I haven't! Think about it, Ben! Why else would I be so scared, so eager to find her? If Jason wasn't talking to me about a baby, what else could he have been talking about when he said 'good luck with the kid'? Why else would they want her? Please, Ben, I promise I'm not insane!" I was crying now, which probably didn't help the case. I seemed to be doing a lot of that today. A part of me wondered what the hell was wrong with me. The other part didn't care.

"I didn't know he'd mentioned children."

"Ben, just listen to me! I'm not any crazier than I've always been! I can still think logically!" I took a deep breath. Forced myself to at least look collected. "Look, I know a girl coming from the future is a lot to take in at once- I had to last week. Why else would I call you and ask you to come down if I wasn't pregnant? Ben, please, listen to me."

He loosened his grip on me, then. "You're really serious, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me about her."

"We don't have time for-"

"I'm not letting you go until you do."

I sighed, seeing no other way. "She likes a lot of the same things we do. Her favorite color is green. She started school early. She had a younger sister and older brother..." I listed out things Myra had told me over the week we'd spent getting to know each other. I knew Ben had just been humoring me, but I could feel him start to actually believe me. By the end of my spiel, he was as good as convinced.

"Whoa," he whispered when I was done. "Does she remember the rest of us?"

I nodded. "She said that she calls Hi and Shelton her uncles."

"Oh. No Uncle Ben, then?" He almost looked sad.

I thought of how to tell him and took another deep breath before saying slowly, "No. You _are_ in her life, though. She just calls you something different."

"What does she call me, then? Just Ben?"

I wiped my eyes. "No. Not '_Just Ben'._ She calls you _Dad_."

He didn't react for about ten seconds. Then his eyes widened, and his eyebrows arched. "I'm the...?"

"Yeah. You're her father. Or will be. Or are supposed to be."

"Supposed to be?"

"Someone tampered with time. Apparently, you weren't supposed to get expelled. We were supposed to make up and get together in spring," I explained softly. "My bet is on Chance and Jason. I don't know how they knew, but I think they had something to do with it."

He was already striding to the door. "Let's go. We have to find her."

"You mean, you're okay with it?"

"We're waiting to discuss this until after we get our daughter back. Now are you coming, or not?"

I swallowed the impulse to call him a hypocrite and followed him out the door. Once outside, we slipped on our shades and flared.

**SNAP**

Pain washed through me, but it wasn't as violent as last time. Ben and I locked eyes, then ran after Jason's trail.

**Taa-daa! What did you think of it?**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm doing rapid posting for the rest of the story, due to a _very_ special event on Sunday!**

**I'm not Kathy or Brendan Reichs, so...**

**Chapter 6**

We ended up at Chance's house. Typical. We climbed over the wall and sneaked in through the back after Ben broke the lock with his super-strength. It didn't take long for me to catch her scent. I grabbed Ben's hand and led him to the basement door.

"Going somewhere, Tory?"

We whirled to see Jason leaning against the wall casually, like we were at school. Ben growled. I squeezed his hand, keeping my eyes on Jason.

"So it's not a coincidence. You really did sleep with that filthy boat boy." He noticed me inching towards the door and shook his head. "I wouldn't, if I were you. Chance has people down there. Big, scary people with guns, watching your precious daughter. Too bad those idiots couldn't have been more careful."

"What have you done with her?" I demanded. Jason sighed.

"Nothing yet. We were planning to run some tests on her, but then Shelton and Hiram showed up and fucked with our plans."

Ben let go of me and stepped closer to him. "If anyone lays a hand on her, I will kill them, then you."

Jason laughed at him, humorless and cold. I didn't recognize him anymore. "Pretty brave words," he turned to leave, then added, "for the guy who shacked up with a little tramp."

Ben lunged at him and tackled him to the ground. While they fought, Ben sent a telepathic message: _Go and get her. I think he's lying about the guards._

I knew he was. There were only two people in the basement- Chance and Myra. I could smell them. I opened the door and ran down the steps. There was no one in the main room. I checked the first two sub-rooms. Nothing. Their scents were everywhere. Chance had probably done that on purpose, to confuse me.

Speak of the devil, he walked out of the fourth room. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me. "Tory, I didn't expect you to come so soon."

I tackled him to the ground. "Where is she?"

"Third room. You know, she looks like you. Very beautiful. Too bad she's Ben's, too. I'd hoped that expelling him would keep you two apart." He grinned at my obvious confusion.

"What are you talking about?" I hissed, gripping his shirt collar and lifting his head.

"Everyone, yourself excluded, knows how he feels about you. Jason especially. So when Ben got in trouble from our friend the Gamemaster, he'd asked me to try to get him expelled, so he could have you for himself. They didn't listen to me. Then I saw a picture on my desk. Some idiot had stupidly sent it back with the wrong coordinates. It showed Hiram, Shelton, Ben, and you. Ben had his arm around you, and you looked about eight months pregnant. That was when I realized that I had to do some fast thinking, if I wanted Blue gone. It wouldn't have worked, if I hadn't given them that golden coin. I knew I was doing something right when I asked for one."

I shook my head. "I can't believe you'd do that. That you'd stoop so _low._"

**SNUP**

Shit. My flare always fizzled at the worst times.

"Well, I had something to gain, too, obviously. I wouldn't have gone along with the plan otherwise." Suddenly, I was on the ground and he was pinning me down. "I know how you feel about Jason. He's a friend, that's it. He doesn't know that. I also know how you feel about me." His eyes darkened with pleasure. "And let me tell you, the feeling is mutual, Victoria."

"Correction," I snapped, "it's how I _used _to feel about you two. I hate you both now." I flipped us, so I was on top, pinning his wrists down. "I can't stand you now."

"Too bad," he purred. "This is quite a promising position." Then he wrenched his hands free, grabbed my face, and crushed his lips against mine forcefully.

I was in shock for a second, before my body acted for me. I bit his lip hard. He cried out in pain, and I got out of his grasp before kicking him in the balls with as much force as I could muster. Then I ran to the third door and twisted the knob. It was locked.

"That's why I wear full body armor now," Chance said, standing. I turned and glared at him.

"Where's the key?"

He continued on as if I hadn't said a word. "What I didn't know was that you're as in love with Boat Boy as he is with you. I seriously thought you were smarter than that."

"Chance, give me the goddamn key before I tear your throat out!"

He laughed humorlessly. "No, I think I'm good. You can't really hurt me, Tory. You're not tapped into your power right now. Might as well give up. Nothing's going to get accomplished."

I thought for a second. He needed to be distracted, so I could get the key away from him. It was in his back pocket- I heard the clatter when I tackled him. And idea formed in my head, and I didn't like it one bit. But Myra was in danger, and I'd do anything to save her. I used my mediocre acting skills, praying he'd believe me, and sunk down to the floor, hands sliding into my hair. "Fine. You win." I started crying. "Just promise you won't hurt her, Chance! She's my daughter!"

He crouched next to me, running a hand through my hair and taking my hands with his other one. "She doesn't even exist right now. She never will."

I looked up at him, then wrapped my arms around him and kissed him. He tensed, startled, then wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his lap, returning it. I found the key in his back pocket and took it out, hoping he wouldn't notice. He didn't. I started to pull away, but he gripped me tighter.

"We're going to go faster than that, Tory." Then he pinned me to the ground and kissed me again. I struggled, but he held me down. "Don't fight me, Brennan. Or should I say, Mrs. Claybourne."

_Gross._

"Blue and Tory got away," a voice said. "Sorry, Cha-"

Chance stopped kissing me, and we both looked to see a very bruised and bloodied Jason, staring with a gaping mouth.

**Ooh, someone's gonna get it!**

**What're your thoughts so far?**


	7. Chapter 7

**So here's the next chapter! My quasi-speed-posting gig continues!**

**I don't own _Virals_.**

**Chapter 7**

"What the hell are you doing, Chance?"

"Tory agreed to let him go. She's mine now, Jason. So why don't you give us some privacy?"

He looked confused, and shook his head violently, snapping out of his dazed stupor. "We had a deal, Chance!"

"Well I just broke it. Do you mind?"

Jason shook his head. "No. You weren't supposed to... Yes, I mind, you bastard! She was supposed to be mine!"

Chance sighed and sat up, pulling me up with him. "Jason, she and I agreed that I'm better for her. She's pretty happy with that decision."

"Then why has she been crying?" Jason asked, eyeing me. "She doesn't look too happy, Chance."

"Because she realized that Myra Blue no longer exists, now that she's with me. Now, I suggest you go upstairs. Tory and I have some unfinished business we need to take care-" He stopped talking as I punched him.

**SNAP**

He fell to the ground, holding his nose. I hit him again, and his head hit the concrete. He blacked out. _That sicko tried to get into bed with me!_ I thought. _To think I would've gone along with it, if it had happened two years ago!_

"Tory?" Jason said softly. I didn't bother looking at him as I walked to the third door. "Tory, you were faking it?"

"Of course I was. Now where did Ben go?"

He caught my glare and replied defeatedly, "He ran towards the kitchen. I think he heard Hi and Shelton." Jason looked down at Chance. "I can't believe he..."

I unlocked the door and opened it to reveal nothing. Where was she?

Cold fear gripped my throat. Did she cease existence because I kissed Chance? I'd only done it to distract him. I hadn't meant anything by it.

I sniffed the air, checking for her. I looked in the door Chance had come out of. Nothing again.

"She's in this one," Jason said, catching onto what I was looking for, gesturing to another door. I quickly opened it and nearly cried when I was tackled in an embrace.

"Mom, I knew you'd come!" she said, hugging me tightly. I was more than happy to hug her back.

"I was so worried! What happened?"

"They basically came in and took me. I tried to fight, but they knocked me out with opium! Oh, Mom, I was so scared!"

I ran a hand through her hair. "So was I."

I was vaguely aware of Jason leaving, but I really didn't care. My daughter was safe and unharmed, and that was what mattered most at the moment.

"Who were those boys, Mom?"

"Jason and Chance. They basically screwed with time so they could get me. They didn't count on you showing up."

"You're so popular with the men."

I snorted. "I guess so. By the way, you're grounded for putting yourself in danger and tampering with Shelton's inventions."

Myra laughed. "Okay. I can deal with that."

I heard something and listened. Someone was coming down the stairs. I smiled when I smelled who it was. "Wait here," I said to Myra before going to the foot of the stairs and waiting.

Hi and Shelton came downstairs, then Ben. When he got to the bottom, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He kissed me back almost instantly, pulling me tightly against him, as if this was something natural. Like we'd always been doing it. My lips parted against his; my hands found his thick hair and tangled my fingers in it. He deepened the kiss and slid his tongue into my mouth.

"_Ahem_."

We broke apart to see an embarrassed Shelton and a laughing Hi.

"It's about damn time!" Hi said in between breaths and giggles.

I felt myself blush, but smiled. It _was_ about damn time.

"Tory, we haven't found Caitlin yet," Shelton said. "Maybe she's not here."

"No, I know where she is. Ben can help me get to her. Can you two keep watch at the top for me?" Ben was her father. He deserved to meet her before the other two.

Shelton started up the steps, then looked over his shoulder. "He's the father, isn't he?"

Hi looked confused. "Just keep it G-rated. The poor girl's only thirteen." They both went upstairs.

I waited a few seconds before grabbing Ben's hand. "You ready to meet her?"

He nodded. "As I'll ever be."

I kissed him softly before leading him around the corner, into the room where she was. Myra looked up, but whatever she was about to say died on her lips. She and Ben stared at each other for several tense moments before he finally said, "Hi."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she threw herself at him. He looked very surprised and maybe a little lost. He awkwardly patted her back, face flushing red.

"Hi, Dad," she sniffled.

He didn't say anything, but I didn't think he had to. I leaned against the wall and watched father and daughter first meet with a smile.

Someone groaned, but I was the only one who noticed. I walked out of the room to see Chance stirring. I hit him on the head with a board, knocking him out again, then returned to Ben and Myra.

"Guys, I think we'd better go before Chance wakes up again," I said.

They broke apart- I caught a relieved look from Ben- Myra wiped her eyes, and we walked upstairs.

"Good, you're back..." Shelton trailed off when he saw Myra.

"Where's Caitlin?" Hi asked. "And who's this?" He walked around her. "That's creepy. She looks like a Native American version of you, Tory."

Shelton's eyes went huge, and he started to tug on his ear. I smacked him.

"That's for inventing a device that my kids could get their hands on and use to go back in time with," I said.

"What?"

"Let's get out of here first, then we'll explain," Ben said, looking over his shoulder, as if checking from a random creep.

We wasted no time booking it the hell out of there.

**So the next chapter will be the last, then there'll be an epilogue. I hope you guys are enjoying it!**

**-WiccaChick98**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last chapter! Well, there'll be an epilogue, which I plan to post later tonight. By the way, today's my 2-year anniversary since joining! That was the big event I was telling you about!**

**Don't own it.**

**Chapter 8**

"So let me get this straight," Hi said two hours later, in our bunker, after we'd set everything back up the way it was supposed to be, "Caitlin is really Myra, who is really yours and Ben's daughter twenty-one years into the future, when she'll use a time traveling device and a necklace that Shelton designed to come to our time to watch us solve a mystery?"

"Pretty much," I said.

"But then Chance and Jason planned to get Ben expelled, which wasn't supposed to happen, so Jason could get you, but Chance double-crossed him because he wanted to get into your pants?" Shelton added.

"That about sums it up."

"So the next big question is," Ben said, speaking up for the first time in a while, "how are we supposed to get her home?"

I hadn't thought of that. I don't think anyone had. We were all too absorbed in the idea that someone had come from the future- and gotten captured- to wonder about how they'd get back.

Myra looked up from her journal. "Home? Oh, I've already got that covered. Had a bit of time to look at the device better when I was being held captive, and figured it out. Uncle Shelton had built a returning device with the TTD and put it on the side, where it was harder to find, probably to discourage us from using it. Didn't work. Anyway, all I have to do is press the button, and I'll go back to exactly where I was before I left."

Everyone was quiet. No one really liked the idea of her going back to her own time- there was so much we wanted to know.

"Well," Shelton said, "then I guess you'd better be getting back. To prevent any more chaos from spreading." There was a tinge of sadness to it.

Myra sighed, looking away. "Yeah, I guess. It was great to meet all of you- well, meet your younger selves." She stood, and Coop whimpered, licking her hand. She scratched his head with a small laugh.

"Wait," Hi said, "you never told us what would happen. Will I ever get married? Am I still the Fashion King? Do I get super rich?"

Myra smiled at him and hugged him. "Some things never change, Uncle Hi."

"That's not an answer!" But he hugged her back. "See you in eight years, kid."

She hugged Shelton. "Are your siblings as curious as you are?" he asked.

"Yeah. I just got to the TTD before they could."

"Where was it?"

"Hidden under your bed."

"Then I'll pick a better hiding place for it."

"We'll still find it, Uncle Shelton. We always find your inventions."

"I know a few places where you won't."

Her eyes got a gleam in them. "Challenge accepted."

When she got to me, tears were welling up in my eyes. I hugged her tightly. "Remember that you're grounded. And say hello to myself for me."

She sniffled. "I will, Mom. I promise."

Myra started to pull away but I wasn't ready for it yet. "Try to stay out of trouble, and don't get arrested."

Then she got to Ben. They stared at each other for a few seconds before she smirked. "You're not much of a hugger, are you?"

"Nope." A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "Are you saying I'll turn into one?"

"Only when it comes to family." She stepped forward, whispered, "So I suggest you get used to it," and hugged him. He slowly returned it, still looking uncertain of what to do. They broke the gesture, and she kissed his cheek. "See you, Dad."

"Yeah. See you." His face was flushed.

She walked to the center of the room after another hug from me.

"So, if we were supposed to get together in spring," Ben said from where he was suddenly standing behind me, "then that means we have some... catching up to do. My dad's not home. You wanna, you know, come over tonight? Maybe we can-"

"Myra's still here. Let's not scar her before she's even born," I replied teasingly. "I'll be there at five. What should I wear?"

"Well, I don't think clothes are that-"

"Forget Myra, you've scarred me!" Hi said, covering his ears.

Myra laughed. "Nah, I'm used to those two. They're very loving towards each other." Then she looked at her returning device. "So this is goodbye for now, huh?"

Everyone waved as she pressed the button. There was a flash of light, then she was gone.

I wiped my eyes. Shelton saw and rolled his eyes with a smile.

"You know, Tory, you won't have to wait that long for a baby, considering you're already expecting."

"I am _not_!"

"If you're not careful with Mr. Blue tonight, you might be," Hi snickered, then ran out of the bunker, Ben hot on his heels. I watched them, shaking my head. _Boys, honestly._

"So, you're going to marry him," Shelton said. "You okay with that, Tory? You haven't seemed to have been too happy with him since the incident with the Gamemaster."

"I'd thought about it a lot, and I think it'd be better for the both of us if I forgave him, because everyone screws up from time to time. It's just human."

"But are you actually okay with _marrying_ him, or was it all a front for Myra's sake?"

I took a deep breath. "I love him, Shelton. He makes me happy. I want to be with him."

He smiled. "Good, because he's so crazy for you. I can't remember a time he's been like this about a girl before you. Last spring, he spent the night at my house with Hi, and we heard him saying your name in his sleep. We have video proof. Perfect blackmail. I can show you, if you want."

I shook my head, laughing. "Nah, that's too invasive." I got serious again. "But you're sure he's really crazy about me?"

"Absolutely. You're the only one who didn't notice how in love he is. I swear, Tory, you're so _dense_ sometimes."

"I am not dense!"

He rose an eyebrow, but knew better to argue with me. "Sure, Tory. Whatever you say."

**Don't log off just yet- I'm posting the epilogue later today, too!**


	9. Epilogue

**Here's the epilogue. I'd like to thank everyone for the supportive reviews!**

**I still am not the proud owner of the _Virals_ series.**

**Epilogue**

We were at his house, in his living room, on the couch. I was straddling his lap as we kissed, my hands in his soft hair. His arms were tight around me, holding me close. I was more than okay with that.

"Dinner was good," I said when we had a short break to catch our breath. He traced my jaw line, eyes dark.

"But dessert is even better," he whispered, leaning in and sucking on my neck softly. I gripped his shirt, biting my lip to hold back a moan. He knew what I was doing, and said, "Don't fight it, Tory. I love your voice," against my skin. He rubbed the my bare back underneath my shirt. I closed my eyes.

"Right now," I murmured, "what're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking three months is too long."

Three months counting from the spring, when we were technically supposed to start dating. I agreed with him.

He found my pulse and nipped it gently. I gasped as pleasure shot through me, pulling his head closer. His hands moved to my waist, where he started to rub my sides, from my bra line to my hips then up again.

Were we really going to do this when we hadn't been together an entire day? How much pressure would that add to our relationship- that constant push to have sex? What if Hi was right, and I really _did_ end up pregnant? My ninth grade health teacher had always said about 'unplanned' pregnancies, _"Well, if I put a dollar in the vending machine I expect to get a snack, right?"_

Was Ben even a virgin? I was. Hell, did we even have protection? What if we got to the most crucial point and one of us backed out? How awkward would that be?

"Ben," I gasped, trying to get him to stop. He took it wrong- as an encouragement, and trailed kisses down to my collarbone. "_Ben_," I whimpered. Who knew being kissed could feel so _good_? "Ben, Ben... stop."

He pulled back immediately. "Something wrong, Tory?"

I fixed my shirt, cheeks flaming. "Um, I was just wondering if we needed, um, protection?"

His face reddened, too. "I don't know, do we?"

I bit my lip and looked away. "Do we?"

He caught on to what I was insinuating and leaned in, kissing my cheek. "Only if you think we do. I won't try anything without your permission."

I relaxed and grabbed his face, pressing my lips to his. He pulled me against him, and I shivered in delight when I realized just how much he was enjoying my company. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't loving this, too.

The fireworks exploded in my heart as we kissed with a burning passion, as his hands gripped my hips, as my fingers threaded into his hair. The thought of getting married to a man that made me feel like this sent a thrill through me.

This was something I was _definitely_ okay about coming to terms with.

**Cheesy? Maybe. Short? Definitely. But you've gotta admit it was awesome! Ben and Tory limes are always fun to write and rare to find!**

**Okay, I'm done being cocky. How did you like it? Is it wrapped up enough? I might write some little one-shots to go along with it, but it depends on you guys.**


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